Mitchell Hefter

I first was aware of USITT in high school, and attended a local meeting in college. But I didn't get actively involved until the USITT NEC Committee work started by Fellow Steve Terry in 1981.

A favorite USITT memory?

Certainly being inducted as a Fellow and receiving an Honorary Lifetime Membership are at the top of the list of USITT memories. Another memory - somewhat ironic - is when I received the Founders Award with Fellows Ken Vannice and Steve Terry: None of us was able to attend the 1993 conference. This was the days before e-mail and award recipients were still kept a secret until the event, so we had no idea. Fellow Rick Stephens called me a few weeks after the conference and said we should get together for lunch. When we did, he presented me with the award.

Short list of your career highlights:

I have worked in Entertainment and Architectural Lighting Controls my entire career - at Strand Lighting, EDI, Entertainment Technology, Genlyte (Lightolier Controls), and Philips Lighting.

As part of the work of the USITT NEC Committees, we have proposed a number of changes to make the NEC current with the advancing technology in the entertainment industry. This also included dealing with an issue at the 1984 Olympics and single-conductor feeder cables and working to allow variations in requirements so broadcasting in some venues could happen.

Became a member of NEC Panel 15 in 1997.

One of the founding members of ESTA's Technical Standard Program.

Short list of your various involvement in the institute:

Several terms as Engineering Commissioner

Board of Directors

Bylaws Committee in 2010.

A short list of the memorable USITT characters?

A short list of favorite USITT characters (emphasis on 'characters') is not possible.

Anything you want to say about being a Fellow?

Being inducted as a Fellow was one of the highest honors of my careers. Being part of a group of industry leaders who are great mentors and readily share the experience and knowledge is a wonderful experience.

Anything you'd like to add about what the USITT means to you personally?

USITT is a second family to me. I look forward to attending the Annual conference every year to reconnect with friends I may not have seen for a year. But sometimes it feels like we saw each other just a few weeks earlier.